HUNTERSVILLE When Hough High’s Whitney Timberlake opted not to defend her N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 4A girls’ diving title this year, that opened the door for a new face to become the region’s top diver.

Karly Adams stepped up to the challenge, as the Hough sophomore turned in a solid performance to win the 4A West Regional girls’ title Friday afternoon at Huntersville Family Fitness and Aquatics.

Adams, who finished fifth in last year’s regional and seventh in the state 4A meet, finished with an 11-dive total score of 379.90, 25 points ahead of Providence sophomore Hanna Croxton (354.90).

“It was a surprise that (Timberlake) didn’t come back, because she’s a really good diver,” Adams said. “It did open things up, because no one knew who would win this year. But it motivated me to put in the extra practice.”

Adams and Croxton were among the eight divers to advance to next week’s state 4A meet in Raleigh. Also qualifying for states were Myers Park’s Mary Scott Alexander, Hough’s Katelyn Abernathy, Providence’s Katie Woodliff, Hough’s Morgan Donnelly, Megan Cypcar of Asheville’s T.C. Roberson, and South Mecklenburg’s Natalie Brown.

In all, three defending state champions were among the divers to advance to the state finals by winning regional titles. Adyson Lowe and Nathan Lane swept the 1A/2A West Regional boys’ and girls’ titles for Lake Norman Charter, while Marvin Ridge’s Sara Maleski won the 3A West Regional title.

In other meet results:

• Lowe, who was a freshman when she won her first state 1A/2A title, won her second 1A/2A West Regional girls’ title by 32.2 points (415.20-383.00) over teammate Erin Lee.

• Lane, a senior who took up diving only 15 months ago, won his second straight 1A/2A West Regional boys’ title by more than 103 points over Shelby’s John Michael Twiggs (347.30-243.45).

• Maleski, who also won her first 3A state title as a freshman, took her second 3A West Regional girls’ title by 24.05 points over South Point’s Mary Ellen Torgonski (424.15-404.10).

• West Henderson senior Lee Fullam, the state 3A runnerup the past two years, won his third straight 3A West Regional boys’ title by more than 55 points over teammate Joseph Manzi (373.90-318.65).